Skylights are an effective and easy way to bring light to your home all year round. However, choosing the right type of skylight is crucial to get the full benefits. It is important to consider factors such as your home’s interior, roof design, location, climate and functionality. This blog will discuss the different types of skylights on the market and what type of skylight is best for your home.
The Role of Skylights in Australian Homes
Australia’s unique climate, with intense heat, varying humidity levels and extreme weather events, makes selecting the right type of skylight for your home essential. Skylights must withstand hail storms, provide UV protection and keep homes insulated. Modern skylights, like Solatube’s dome skylights, are a prime example of a durable and efficient solution to bringing light into your home.
Key Types of Skylights and Their Benefits
1. Fixed Skylights
Fixed skylights are sealed and non-ventilating skylights designed to bring natural light into your home. Typically, they are sealed into the roof structure and act as a roof window to bring natural light into your home. The key benefits of fixed skylights are that they are simple to install, weather-resistant, require minimal maintenance, and act as a sun tunnel into your home.
2. Ventilated Skylights
Ventilated skylights bring light and ventilation into your home and help improve airflow as they can be manually or electronically controlled. They are compact and openable skylights, specially designed for moisture-heavy areas of your home such as kitchens or bathrooms. However, due to being manually openable, the seal can wear over time and may cause leakage in heavy rain.
3. Tubular Skylights
Tubular skylights are compact systems designed to filter and disperse natural light into smaller spaces. For example, Soltaube’s range of tubular skylights efficiently captures natural light through reflective tubing and distributes it throughout the home. These skylights are easy to install, require minimal roof impact, and need little maintenance.
4. Skylight Roof Windows
Skylight roof windows are typically larger than ventilated skylights and are designed to be a part of the roof structure. They can be opened, titled or pivoted to allow airflow into the home and bring in natural light.
5. Solar-Powered Skylights
Solar-powered skylights have inbuilt solar panels for capturing energy from the sun throughout the day. They are environmentally friendly and energy-saving, as the stored solar energy can be used at night to provide a soft glow, reducing the need for artificial lighting. For example, Solatube’s solar-electric skylight accessories capture solar energy during the day and emit a soft glow at night, offering an eco-friendly lighting solution.
6. Custom Skylights
You may need custom skylights depending on whether you have a flat or curved roof, as well as your architectural needs and personal design preferences. Custom skylights offer the advantage of a tailored fit, a wide range of shapes and sizes, and the assurance that your personal preferences are met. For example, your home may be better suited to a square skylight fixture rather than a circular one.
What to Consider when Choosing a Skylight
When deciding on what type of skylight for your home, there are several factors to consider as each type has its benefits and functionalities.
Room Functionality and Location
The first question to ask yourself is where you would like the skylight to be and what purpose you want it to serve. For example, if you want the duality of ventilation and natural light, choosing a skylight roof window or ventilated skylight is the right choice. On the other hand, if you are seeking to maximise the dispersion of light and energy use throughout your home, a tubular skylight or solar-powered skylight is the optimal choice.
Energy Efficiency & Insulation
Energy efficiency and insulation are another key consideration as different types of skylights will have different levels of glazing. Ensuring you choose a skylight with double glazing or energy-efficient glazing options can reduce heating and cooling costs in Australia’s unique climate.
Light and Heat Control
Enhance your skylight with custom options like UV-filtration or tinted glazing to regulate light and heat in your home. UV filtration not only protects you and your family from harmful sun rays but also prevents sun damage to your furniture or flooring.
Solatube’s advanced skylight dome technology reduces UV and heat impact by redirecting and diffusing sunlight, ensuring you and your home stay protected.
Design & Aesthetics
Skylights are designed to enhance the aesthetics and overall design of your home. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that the fixtures and fittings complement your home’s unique style. When choosing a skylight, you can select from a variety of shapes, including square or round with options available to elevate your home seamlessly.
Durability & Weather Resistance
Depending on where you live in Australia, you are more likely to face different weather conditions. Ensuring your skylight is hail-resistant and able to withstand extreme weather conditions and heat is another primary consideration.
What Is The Best Type of Skylight For Your Home?
The best type of skylight for your home depends on your specific needs such as lighting levels, ventilation, energy efficiency and design preferences as well as the roof’s architectural structure. Reaching out to a professional, like Solatube or our certified premium dealers, can ensure you choose the perfect solution tailored to your home’s features and location.
Solatube Skylights – Why Should You Choose Us?
Innovative Design for Maximum Light Efficiency
Utilising tubular daylighting devices from Solatube enhances the skylight’s ability to stand out in the market by capturing natural daylight. This helps maintain your home’s temperature throughout the day while delivering an even disbursement of light across the whole room.
High-quality Materials for Australian Conditions
Locally invented and designed for Australia’s climate, Solatube’s skylights are built to withstand Australia’s high UV and extreme weather conditions.
Options for Any Room or Requirement
No matter the space you want to brighten, Solatube’s skylight solutions are designed to elevate and illuminate every space within your home.
Expert Installation and Support
At Solatube, we have partnered with premium dealers and certified installers across Australia to ensure the skylight installed has optimal performance. No matter where you are located, we have a network of local installers at your disposal. Book a premium dealer with us today.